god uses unbelievers to accomplish his will
God has already determined the end from the beginning (Isa. But Habakkuks confusion was not doubt. Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. How beautiful! The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. Moses had great faith! WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind. Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. God knew that Pharaoh would change his mind about letting the people of Israel go and that he would pursue them to bring them back to Egypt. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. The new king was deposed after three months. Why does God allow deception Paul also made this clear in Romans 9-11. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. 1:22). When Isaiah 53:1 speaks of the future coming of the Messiah, literally it says, who would have believed the thing reported? His birth as a baby who would grow up, suffer and die was most unexpected. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. The Pharisees believed they were serving God but in reality, they didnt even know Him. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. The articles posted on this website are here to provide information about the Bible and specific topics related to the Reformed Faith along with it's application in our daily thoughts and activities. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Fit to be Used The very first verse my daughter ever memorized was Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. It seemed like an odd one to begin with, but now in retrospect it might have been the best one. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Everyday Apostolic 2019 | All Rights Reserved, Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers, Canceling Church On Christmas Removes Christ From Christmas, Great Resources On Baptism In The Name Of Jesus, A Diluted Christianity: Oneness, Trinitarian, Or Is It All Just Irrelevant, Youre Not David Pastor Raymond Woodward, The Walking Bible Pastor Raymond Woodward, Wait On The Lord by James Wilson NAYC 2019, If I Shout/Lets Testify Medley FAC Sanctuary Choir. Were they to voluntarily all drown? so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. Is that a contradiction? They all come for violence; Their faces are set like the east wind. Click here. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. 28:25, The LORD will cause you to be defeated before your enemies; you shall go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them; and you shall become troublesome to all the kingdoms of the earth. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation., Truth Of God Is denied by Unbelievers, the Truth of God Is denied by Unbelievers, Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world, Unbelievers Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Unbelievers Their lifetime spent in vanity, Unbelievers Shall be judged by God's word in the last day, Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Shall be judged by God's word in the last day. Who would have had his own beliefs and gods that contradicted much of the Bible. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. The purpose of www.drivennails.com is to help train expository preachers in sermon construction and delivery, to train inductive Bible study writers and teachers, and to edify the saints with the Word of God. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Were on a mission to change that. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. God will use it even if you do not understand how. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. That pagan nation was struggling against Egypt for dominance. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. 4:5). WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. God Will Use Even You He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. God ordains the means and the ends of life. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Jesus says much the same thing in his famous prayer just before Judas arrives: None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture would be fulfilled (John17:12b). Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. Grace be with you. The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. God use unbelievers to accomplish his will The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. He uses believers and unbelievers. But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now., but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. As Christians, we have nothing to fear or worry about because we know that God is in control. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? Im not a founder, innovator, CEO, or visionary of any company. WebGod never does evil Himself. God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. God use non-believers to help His people Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. 13:17). They had fast horses and were more fierce (more alert, fierce, and sharp) than the hungry wolves that come out to hunt in the evening. At my own local church, and everywhere else I go, faithful men and women record my sermons in audio and sometimes video. WebGod never does evil Himself. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? Say to them, As I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,But He does according to His will in the host of heavenAnd among the inhabitants of earth;And no one can ward off His handOr say to Him, What have You done?. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. Dont mistake temporary material victories for true success. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. 4 Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. God Will Use Even You But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. Because God is utterly unimpressed by my rsum. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. Do not lament your insufficiency. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. They looked to themselves for their power. 10:17 Paul writes, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. When we preach the gospel to someone and they come to saving faith, we dont boast that we have saved them but that God has saved them, though we were the instruments of Gods saving work. I have not been named most influential, listed as most attractive, or voted most likely to succeed. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? He could have just caused them to drop dead. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. Do not begrudge your weakness. Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. They intend to be their own god. Do not lament your insufficiency. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. He has but one endto make us like Jesus. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. There is no better example of Gods providence at work through the actions of a sinful man. We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. International Standard Version. Verse Concepts. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. WebGod never does evil Himself. A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). God had not yet told Moses what He was going to do, but Moses knew the Lord did not redeem the Israelites from Egypt to have them slaughtered. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. They will be held guilty. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. Jump to Previous But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Third, it is necessary for us to remain silent, to not fret, grumble, or complain, while we wait for the Lord to deliver us from whatever trial we are suffering. WebAnd then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will. God use non-believers to help His people His covenant is always enforced. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? They probably said things like, See, God isnt doing anything no body ever gets punished, it cant be very serious. They had forgotten the longsuffering of the True God who made all things, and who rules as King over all kings. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. The new Pharaoh saw the Israelites as a plague in the land. Second, the proper response to any trial or danger is to not fear but stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. How many times do we fret and worry and then see the Lord deliver us and realize that all of our anxiety and fretting was for naught, that it accomplished nothing, but was an expression of our sinful doubt? 14:11). For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. But our God is mightier than any office or country. But God gave the command, Moses obeyed the command, and in a sense Moses divided the Sea, as the Lord commanded, and in a more ultimate sense God did the miracle and divided the Red Sea. A lesson worth considering, but not the main lesson I want to focus on, is that God often put us into situations where only He can deliver us. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it.
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